Seeking the True Value of Life: An Interview with Qiu Hongyu

This is a record of an interview with Qiu Hongyu, a spirit who sought spiritual deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Having transitioned from a distant, intangible existence to a human life on Earth, and subsequently serving as a prison guard in the underworld, he has now attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account, which details his profound journey of self-discovery and his eventual liberation, was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on October 18, 2020.

Qiu Hongyu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am profoundly grateful for this precious opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I offer my endless, heartfelt gratitude to the revered Namo Amituofo of the entire universe, and to Practitioner Su. We cherish this opportunity for liberation more than words can express.

My name is Qiu Hongyu—a new identity I adopted after I turned sixteen. I did not originate from this planet; my birthplace was incredibly far from Earth, situated in a realm beyond the reach of human perception. At sixteen, driven by an intense, burning desire to find the true value of life, I chose to leave the planet where I had existed for sixteen years. After a long, arduous journey through the vastness of space, I finally arrived on Earth. When I first arrived, I felt the environment was perfect for living. I never expected it to be such a breathtakingly beautiful world. Back home, I would always gaze at this planet from afar with longing. Ever since I had memory, I had looked forward to the day I could come here. That day finally arrived, and it was more magnificent than I had ever dared to dream.

An Invisible Observer in a Vibrant World

I looked around with immense excitement. This planet is filled with so many diverse creatures and various, complex ways of life. My home planet was only dull, monotonous, and devoid of colour; I had never experienced such a fascinating, vibrant world. Everything before my eyes filled me with pure joy. I felt as if I did not quite fit in—the people of this world could not see me. To the people of Earth, I was merely a spirit from a different space, so no one knew of my existence. I was a silent, invisible observer, watching the intricate tapestry of human life unfold.

My home planet had no physical form. All life existed in an intangible state. We were like air, living naturally and freely within space. When we needed to reproduce, we would naturally divide, and soon another intangible force would appear. Thus, in our world, there was no gender, no birth, and no death. We could exist indefinitely, or we could choose to vanish into the ether. When I was first born into my world and gained consciousness, I began to search for the value of life. In such a world, I felt a deep, gnawing emptiness. I could not find the meaning of existence. Every day was spent in the dark, intangible space. Although I had an endless lifespan, this kind of life made me want to seek liberation. That is why I set my sights on this planet. I did not actually know where I should go; I only had one burning desire: to escape such a meaningless, hollow existence.

Entering the Human Realm

When I finally waited for an opportunity, I grabbed onto a meteorite heading toward Earth and leaped. I moved with incredible speed, and at sixteen, I finally entered the world I had longed for: Earth, a distant space. Upon entering this world, I remained in an intangible state. Because the space was different, I could clearly perceive what all living beings were thinking. Although in many situations I did not understand the complex thoughts of humans, nor the calculations hidden in their hearts, I could sense the emotions they expressed and the words they left unsaid. I observed Earth for many days, constantly questioning what kind of life I truly wanted.

Then one day, in the complex space, I felt a surge of sorrowful energy. I did not know what was happening. Suddenly, I saw a young boy meet with a tragic accident. He lost his life on the spot. Beside him was an old woman, holding the boy's cooling body, crying so bitterly that it shook my very being. I could see that the boy's body had not completely died, but his spirit had already been taken away by an invisible force. This was the first time I had witnessed such a situation. As I watched intently, a sudden force pulled me into the boy's body. The boy began to breathe again. I had actually entered his body and began to live on Earth as this boy.

A Life of Sorrow and Duty

This was an inconceivable event—even I had never imagined it. But perhaps this was karmic affinity. Since I also wanted to find the value of life, I quickly accepted this change and began to live in the human world under my new identity: Qiu Hongyu.

The old woman holding the boy discovered he was breathing again and was overjoyed, crying and laughing at the same time. It turned out this old woman was the boy's grandmother. She was blind and deaf, living only by the sensations of her body. Because she could not use her eyes or ears, her sense of touch had become exceptionally keen. So, as soon as there was a change in the boy's body, she knew immediately that he had come back to life.

The fate of this family was truly tragic. The Qiu family had originally been a prestigious general's household in the region. The boy's father was a brave and skilled general, but half a year ago, he was framed and accused of treason by the imperial court. Overnight, the Qiu family became prisoners, and their home was destroyed. To protect the boy, his mother sacrificed her life to help them escape. During their flight, the grandmother accidentally ate food poisoned by their enemies. The toxins attacked her nerves, and within days, she lost her sight and hearing. I learned all of this by reading the grandmother's memories. It was a deeply sorrowful past, yet she held it close to her heart. I could feel her despair, and the boy was the only hope she had to keep living.

A Promise to Grandmother

The grandmother cried out, 'Yu-er, my Yu-er!' Feeling her sorrowful heart, I responded obediently, 'Grandmother, I am here.' I felt her body stiffen, but she quickly returned to normal. She asked with concern if the boy was hungry. After speaking, she stood up and, following her memory, began to prepare food. Watching her sad figure, it is hard to describe how I felt at that moment. I decided then and there that I would live on in the boy's place, giving her a reason to keep living.

The grandmother's health deteriorated day by day. Originally, she took care of the boy, but from the day she became bedridden, I began to take care of her. Although the boy's body was small, I learned life skills at an incredible speed. I could read experiences from the memories of others, so from the moment I started caring for her, I handled the housework and even went out to earn a living with ease. Under my care, her complexion slowly improved, but her constitution remained very weak. Perhaps it was because she had endured such a massive life change that her elderly body could not bear it. To heal her, I began to study human medicine.

The Search for Truth

At first, I did not know where to start, so I asked around and finally found a physician known for his exceptional skills. I tried to learn medicine by reading his memories, but much of it was based on physical medical experience, which was not easy for me to comprehend at once. However, I was diligent. I would take the memories I read each day and apply them to the grandmother at home. I memorized the herbs I learned about, went into the mountains to find them, and returned home to brew them for her. In less than half a month, she was able to get out of bed. To restore her sight and hearing, I traveled to many places, studied the memories of many physicians, and tried many methods on her. But the toxins had already destroyed her eyes and ears, and they could not be restored. I had to give up and instead focused on caring for her body with all my heart.

Ten years passed. In the many days I spent with her, she began to smile and would tell me stories from her memories. Although I could read these from her mind, I would listen carefully and give her a hug. Every time, she would smile through her tears. Human memories are filled with emotions and feelings; this is actually a very heavy burden. Watching her life over these years, unable to see or hear, I could read the deep sorrow and sadness in her world—all stemming from those emotional memories. Although she lived with me, she remained trapped in the past, unable to free herself.

A Final Farewell

I stayed with her until the boy's body grew into adulthood. She asked me meaningfully, 'What do you want to do in the future?' I replied without hesitation, 'Yu-er wants to stay with Grandmother forever.' She smiled, stroked my head, and said, 'Silly grandson, Grandmother cannot stay with you forever. You have worked so hard to take care of me all these years. The road ahead is one you must walk alone; you must complete your life's journey by yourself.' She sighed and continued, 'I never blame life, nor do I resent fate, but I cannot let go of this longing in my heart. I miss the days when we were all together. You were just born then; I never expected that in the blink of an eye, only the two of us would be left. Yu-er! You must live well. Never despise life, and do not fight against it. Everything that happens has a cause. We must follow the flow of fate. Grandmother knows I will leave this world at any time. You must live well on your own. I know you can take care of yourself, but you must never become attached to this world, for it is not where you belong. You are a good child; you should return to your own world.' I looked at her face in surprise. She did not show much emotion, as if she were speaking of something ordinary. I asked, 'Grandmother, when did you know I was not your grandson?' She smiled and replied, 'I am blind, but my heart is not. I know you are a good child. Since Heaven decided to take Yu-er away and sent you instead, what is there for me to complain about? I sincerely thank you for your existence. You have worked hard all these years. Thank you for taking care of me.' After she finished speaking, she peacefully closed her eyes to rest. But after that conversation, she never opened her eyes again and fell into a long, eternal sleep.

The Path to Liberation

I followed the customs of the world to handle her funeral and organized the house. I unexpectedly discovered a fortune she had left behind, along with a letter. The letter described her gratitude toward me and explained the origin of the money. She hoped I could use it to start my own life and find the path I wanted to walk. In the days I spent with her, I had actually experienced life. My exploration of life had found its answer: I discovered that 'stillness' is the best home. In my original world, space was inherently still, but at that time, I did not understand this realization, so I was obsessed with finding the value of life. Now, I have finally experienced human life and realised the importance of stillness.

In the boy's body, I experienced a human life. I gave all the wealth she left behind to families living in poverty and found a secluded place in the deep mountains to live quietly alone. I do not know how much time passed. In this experience of life, I never knew the feeling of birth, nor the feeling of death. I do not know how many years I lived.

Until one day, a massive fire broke out in the mountains, caused by the wars of the world. I heard the sounds of animals fleeing and their cries of distress. I felt pained, so I stepped in to save them. The fire came quickly and was fierce. In a very short time, the entire mountain was burned to the ground. I saved the trapped animals, but I also perished in the sea of fire, ending my life in the boy's body.

Serving in the Underworld

After the boy's life ended, I entered a pitch-black void. I returned to the state of a spirit—an intangible space different from my original world. I did not know where I was, only drifting aimlessly. After a long time, I finally saw a bridge. On the other side, there seemed to be another world. I could not find a way out in the dark space, so I headed toward the other end of the bridge. After walking for a while, I saw the prison palace. I watched from the outside for a while before deciding to enter. As soon as I stepped through the door, prison guards immediately came to stop me. Another guard went to report to the King of Hell. The King agreed to let me enter. Before the King, he looked at my past. He allowed me to continue using the identity of Qiu Hongyu, and after the judgment, he hoped I would stay and serve as a prison guard. Because in the events of my past, although I could claim some merit, it was not enough for liberation. The King arranged for me to do simple work, and for the rest of the time, he hoped I would practise alongside Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. When I first saw Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I saw true 'emptiness' and 'stillness' in him. His presence showed me that this is the value of life: to return to the origin of one's spirit, to cut off the past, and to use one's spirit and wisdom to help all beings. This is the truth I had been searching for all along.

I practised beside Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for a long time, until I recently learned the sutras taught by Practitioner Su and came to know the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I was truly moved and cherished these opportunities. I am so grateful to be guided to the West by Practitioner Su today. After finding the value of life, my heart is truly at peace. I am deeply moved and filled with joy. I thank the Truth for allowing me to attain true liberation. I am Qiu Hongyu, a being from the space, and I am so grateful that I have finally found the value of life.

Thank you, Namo Amituofo. Thank you, Practitioner Su. On behalf of the prison guards and all beings who have been saved today, I offer my sincere gratitude. Namo Amituofo."